


you bloom inside my heart

by xinghunnie



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Kim Minseok is Bad at Feelings, Love Triangle, M/M, M/M/M, Minseok is Dumb, Polyamory, Spring, but bc minseok is dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-07 19:17:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19215817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xinghunnie/pseuds/xinghunnie
Summary: “I like you,” Baekhyun breathes out between one quiet moment to another. Minseok stares dumbly. Maybe he is not a genius after all, because all he can think isholy shit what the fuck fucking hell.





	you bloom inside my heart

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt Petal:** #24  
>  **Author's Note:** dear prompter... i’m so sorry. this is probably not what you wanted, but i did my best! i hope u guys enjoy. THANK U TO THE MODS FOR BEING SO SWEET AND UNDERSTANDING AND FOR MAKING THIS FEST HAPPEN!!!

Baekhyun’s skin shines under the warm sunlight.

It’s almost poetic, Minseok thinks, how the cheeky smile on his face rivals the sunshine itself. It makes him look like a Disney prince, and despite being friends for years, it brings the same jittery feeling coursing through his veins. He is still not sure what it means.

 

Walking through the park allows Minseok to distract himself. Kids are running around with their parents, people walking their dogs. An old couple sits on a bench near a flower bed, everything around them bright and dreamy. The perfect romantic setting Minseok had been hoping. 

 

“So you have to leave us?” Baekhyun asks, pouting, right in front of Minseok! 

 

“Yeah,” he answers, resolutely ignoring the pink lips. He doesn’t tell Baekhyun, because the last thing he needs is for someone to inflate his ego, but Baekhyun is so freaking  _ cute _ sometimes. “I have to tutor Jongin today, sadly.”

 

Baekhyun whines. “You’re always so busy Hyung, when are you going to spend more time with me?!” Minseok, for his benefit, just rolls his eyes. He and Baekhyun share  _ classes _ , for God’s sake. 

 

“I see your whiny ass enough.” Predictably, Baekhyun has a retort on the tip of his tongue before the older man interrupts him. “Anyway, you’ll get to spend the afternoon with Jongdae, isn’t that even better?”

 

“No,” Baekhyun sighs, like Minseok is being a special type of dumb. “ _ Even better _ would be if you were there too. The day is so nice too, you can’t waste it inside the library!” 

 

It  _ is _ a pretty day, he laments. But his plan takes precedence, so he just nudges Baekhyun lightly, smiles softly because the other looks very adorable, even when whiny. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” Baekhyun smiles back, almost shyly, cheeks looking pink and shiny.

 

They continue the rest of their walk calmly next to each other, arms brushing and the wind gently mussing their hair. Baekhyun sings softly, just enough for the both of them to hear, and for a moment, Minseok does want to stay. To ride stupid bikes with Baekhyun and Jongdae and enjoy the sunshine warming him up inside. 

 

But then he sees Jongdae, the wide smile and curly lips, arms wildly swinging as if they can’t see it’s him, and something inside curls up. He can see the blush on his cheeks when Baekhyun drapes an arm over his shoulder, the shy glances, and  _ right. Right.  _

 

He says goodbye with a bitter taste in his mouth, feeling empty. Jongin shows up thirty minutes late. Everything is fine. 

  
  
  
  
  


When he gets back home, tired and slightly chilly now that the sun is down and he didn’t have a jacket, Jongdae is sitting with his leg propped up, knee bandaged up in gauze. 

 

“What even happened?” He asks, setting his bag on the floor and quickly making his way to the sofa. 

 

“Welcome home, hyung.” Jongdae answers, completely ignoring his question. 

 

“Are you okay?” He asks, ignoring Jongdae back. 

 

“Oh, yeah, don’t worry about it.” Jongdae dismisses him, easy smile on his lips. “I fell literally like 15 minutes after you left.” 

 

Minseok stares at him, unblinking. 

 

“You fell.” He deadpans. Jongdae nods, kittenish smile unwavering. He seems to decide that the conversation is over, since he turns back to whatever show is on their television. So Minseok’s first attempt failed. Jongdae doesn’t seem bothered, giggling along to the TV. Minseok shrugs too. He can always try again in a few days.

 

For now, he is content to sit with Jongdae’s bony leg on his lap while they both doze off on the couch, the television lulling them.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


His second try comes a week later, on a particularly warm afternoon. He figures this one might be less subtle than his first try, but Jongdae might be too besotted to notice, and Baekhyun simply won’t care.

 

His plan is perfect; he even roped his sister into it! Dinner at a quaint, little restaurant with tables outside to enjoy the fresh air. With the sun shining down on them, the air fluttering the delicate cherry blossoms across the street, Baekhyun and Jongdae will feel in a movie. Hopefully. 

 

Then, at exactly 6:10, his sister will call him asking for help, and  _ boom! Oh no, I need to help her, sorry guys! Raincheck on this dinner though. Enjoy the date! I mean, day! _

 

Minseok is already waiting for them just outside by the entrance. The air ruffles his hair, and in the distance, between the falling cherry blossoms and the muted sunshine, Baekhyun waves at him. Even from the distance, Minseok can see the wide smile, droopy eyes and cheerful aura that seems to follow Baekhyun everywhere.  _ Just like a movie… _

 

He waves back, smaller and shyer but no less enthusiastic. Baekhyun’s happiness is infectious, even to shy MInseok.

 

“Hyung!” Baekhyun yells once he has crossed the street and starts making his way to where Minseok is leaning against the wall of the restaurant. He looks… simply put, he looks good. Tight blue jeans hugging his thighs  _ just right _ . His black t-shirt fitting perfectly, accentuating the wide shoulders.  _ He looks hot.  _ Minseok tries not to stare. Then tries again.

 

“Hey, Baekhyunnie.” His voice sounds weird. And his mouth feels dry. He hopes Baekhyun doesn’t hear it. They hug, because it  _ is _ Baekhyun, and, well, he doesn’t mind. Hugging Baekhyun… no, Baekhyun in general, makes him feel good. Happy. Safe. 

 

Clearing his throat, MInseok tries smiling again. He looks just to the side of Baekhyun’s shoulder, but that is weird, because Minseok doesn’t even  _ know  _ why he can’t stare at him. He shines too much, he thinks, brighter than the sun caressing the petals of the flowers blooming everywhere around them.

 

“You’re early!” Baekhyun comments, settling next to Minseok against the wall. Their knuckles brush softly.

 

“When am I not.” He answers, making Baekhyun smile. The mole on top of his lip is so distracting.

 

For a moment, no one says anything. The air whistles around them, the tune of spring, and their knuckles brush and the cherry blossoms rain down on the pavement and Minseok  _ feels.  _ He feels at peace and content and for a bit, he doesn’t think of anything but sunshine held within one sculpted, compact body. And of curled up lips. 

 

Then Jongdae comes, 6:05 and apologizing for making them wait even though he’s only five minutes late. Minseok’s mouth feels dry again, just when it had come back to normal, too.

 

For a moment, Jongdae stares at a point between Baekhyun and Minseok. Minseok wonders if there’s an insect on the wall, or maybe on his shirtsleeve. What there is, or, well,  _ isn’t _ , is space. Their knuckles are still brushing. (Baekhyun’s hands are soft. Minseok knows.)

 

Nonchalant as ever, Minseok separates from the wall. “Ready?” He tries to ignore how cold his side feels, or how warm his cheeks are.

 

They take a table, and while checking the menus, Minseok thanks whatever god has decided to take pity on him that he will leave as soon as his sister calls. His leg keeps brushing Jongdae’s foot. Or rather, Jongdae’s foot keeps brushing and nudging his leg. He knows it’s him from the angle, but also from the cheeky smirks he gets. 

 

On 6:11, his sister finally calls him. Minseok almost weeps. 

 

“You’re leaving again?” Jongdae asks. He sounds confused, looks it too, with adorably furrowed straight brows. Minseok nods, and because he can’t look at Jongdae any longer or he  _ will  _ combust, he turns to Baekhyun. Not that it’s any better, but Minseok tries anyway. His eyes are no different, confused and clouded with something else, but Minseok isn’t sure. He apologizes, but he knows they will thank him later. On their wedding vows, they will talk of the fateful dinner on a warm spring night where Minseok left to help his sister with who knows what and they had the opportunity to confess their undying love to each other. Minseok is a saint, really.

 

Two pair of eyes stared at him in confusion,  _ disappointment.  _ On his way home, he can’t stop thinking about them, looking at him like he personally hurt them. Then, he passes out, because if he stays up he will only torture himself even more.

  
  


When he wakes up the next morning, Jongdae is having his cup of coffee on their dingy table, no Baekhyun in sight.

 

Minseok sits down cautiously, coffee cup of his own in front of him. “How was dinner?” He asks. He hopes he sounds mildly curious, and not desperately in need of confirmation, just so he can finally move on.

 

Jongdae smiles at him. Minseok tries very hard not to stare.

 

“Would have been better if you were there!” He whines. Minseok grimaces.  _ Loud. Very loud and he just woke up.  _ “We didn’t even have drinks afterwards! Next time hyung, you have to come. It’s not the same if you are not there!”

 

Minseok’s coffee feels very sweet this morning. And warm. That’s why he is blushing, obviously. Too hot. He waits to see if Jongdae will add anything else.  _ Oh, and then I confessed, and then we had super romantic sex at his apartment.  _ But nothing comes. Jongdae pouts, and iInseok blinks, and the birds outside their window chirp happily. He apologizes softly, and promises to make it up to them.

 

Jongdae, too, shines more than the sunlight pouring in through their window.

  
  
  
  
  


Third time's the charm, Minseok is sure. It’s a picnic, Kyungsoo helped him so he knows for a fact everything inside is tasty, he got a cute basket and everything. There is no way those two will ignore the perfect setting to confess. Minseok is a genius.

 

This time, he makes Chanyeol meet him at the same park, halfway through the picnic. Chanyeol will ask for help for something, and Minseok, the best hyung there is, will of course help his dongsaeng and unfortunately will have to leave the lovebirds to do their own thing. His plan is flawless. 

 

Except, Chanyeol cancels, and Jongin is not answering, and Sehun is in class, and anyone that could save him from being a third wheel is unavailable. So he sits there, in the middle of the blue plaid blanket he brought. Baekhyun made him lie down on his lap a while ago, head nestles in the soft flesh. He’s feeding him crackers. Minseok has no idea how he ended up here, like this, blushing at not just one but  _ two  _ pretty boys. 

 

At some point, Jongdae started plucking the wild flowers growing around them and putting them in Minseok’s hair. He threads them carefully, fingernails occasionally scraping his head. 

 

“Let me take a picture,” Baekhyun murmurs, and before Minseok can move away, the snap of his phone camera goes off. “So pretty…” Baekhyun mumbles. Jongdae nods. He’s not looking at the phone. Neither is Baekhyun. Minseok feels overwhelmed, if overwhelmed means his head might explode and his heart is pattering away and his hands start sweating buckets.

 

They talk about whatever, making him laugh so loud he keeps looking around to see if he is disturbing anyone. In the middle of his match-making, Minseok forgot how happy they both make him. He missed them. He will miss them more, once they start dating and won’t have any time to include their sad, lonely, single and pining friend.

 

They leave after hours of just laying there with each other. Minseok is sure, a hundred percent sure that the red on his cheeks is sunburn. He isn’t blushing still. Nope.

  
  
  
  


When he opens the door to his apartment on a Thursday afternoon, a rumpled Baekhyun with a small bouquet of randomly assorted wildflowers is the last thing Minseok expects to find.

 

“Um,” he says. Intelligently. Baekhyun smiles. It’s subdued with shyness.

 

“Here,” Baekhyun says, extending his arm holding the bouquet out. “It’s, uh, for you.”

 

“Um.” Minseok repeats.

 

Baekhyun’s smile falters, just a little. Not even the flowers are as pink as his cheeks seem to be. Minseok himself feels pinkish, if he’s being honest. 

 

“You don’t have to take them!” Baekhyun yelps, too loud in the quiet Minseok had created with his confusion. “It’s stupid, this is so dumb, I’m just gonna get rid of these, I-.”

 

Minseok takes them, almost rips them off from his grip. They are pretty, and cute, just like Baekhyun.

 

Baekhyun stares at him, silent for once. Minseok isn’t sure how to proceed either. Maybe these are for Jongdae… but Baekhyun is blushing, and the smile on his face is so fond and timid, so maybe not.

 

“I have food.” Minseok blurts. It ruins the mood, kind of. Even though he isn’t sure if there really was a mood. Mostly, he feels like he might combust. But he keeps stroking the petals softly, because it anchors him, so he steps away and opens the door wider so Baekhyun can sit his thick-thighed, wide-shouldered, bright-everything inside and sit on their dingy table eating Minseok’s poorly cooked food.

 

Minseok was worried his confusion and awkwardness would put a damper on the afternoon, but he shouldn’t have. Baekhyun filled all the silence with his boisterous monologue, spoke enough for both of them. Minseok still had the flowers on his hand. Everytime he glanced down at them his cheeks would heat up anew. 

 

“I like you,” Baekhyun breathes out between one quiet moment to another. Minseok stares dumbly. Maybe he is not a genius after all, because all he can think is  _ holy shit what the fuck fucking hell. _

 

He thinks about rejecting Baekhyun, and finds that he can’t. Not for fear of breaking Baekhyun;s heart, though the thought makes him feel sick. But because, well, he can’t. He can’t say he doesn’t… like Baekhyun. Even as much as he likes Jongdae too.

 

So Minseok, certified moron, does what any moron would do; he kisses Baekhyun, right on the slightly greasy lips. It pains him, but he sets the flowers down. The feeling of Baekhyun’s flushed cheeks on his cupped palms is even better than a randomly handpicked bouquet of flowers, but just a bit. 

 

He relishes on the gasp Baekhyun makes, and the whimper that follows when Minseok slides his tongue slowly across the back of his teeth. Go figure, that the best way to shut Baekhyun up is putting the pretty lips to better use.

 

And then, he stops thinking,

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Stop thinking might have been his worst idea, in hindsight.

 

Maybe, if he hadn’t stopped, Jongdae would have not walked in on Baekhyun sitting on their shitty table, Minseok standing in between his spread thighs, kissing like they can’t get enough of each other. ( _ They can’t. Minseok might die if his lips separate from Baekhyun’s for longer than three seconds.) _

 

“Wow.” He hears, and that sends him jumping three feet apart from the lips he had been previously attached to.

 

“Um.” Minseok says. Still intelligently. 

 

“That… was hot. Please, by all means, don’t stop.” Jongdae throws into the tense atmosphere. Minseok’s soul escapes him. Minseok wanted to reach out and pull it back in, but he kinda can’t move.

 

“Um.” He repeats again, because he’s an idiot.

 

“Took you long enough to get home,” Baekhyun sighs, sliding off the table with all the grace of a corgi. ( _ It’s the thighs _ , MInseok’s lizard brain supplies. _ Thighs and butt. Must be hard, having junk in the trunk.)  _ He grabs both of their hands and starts pulling them towards the living room. Minseok doesn’t think Baekhyun understands that Minseok is dead. His soul left him and all. “C’mon, I wanna be sandwiched!”

 

“Wait.” He says, and then, “what.”

 

Jongdae smiles at him, flirty. But Minseok, dead an all, stares hard. He looks unsure. His free hand is flexing and unflexing by his side, his thumb pushing on the ring on his index finger. He’s nervous. 

 

“I think Baekhyun wants attention, hyung.” He teases. The next sentence, however, comes out softly. “Me, too.”

 

Minseok’s lizard brain had been so stupid. All this time, he could’ve had both. Both Baekhyun and Jongdae, kissing him and holding his hand and making his blood boil over and make him combust, all three of them together.

 

But Jongdae is stupid too, if he thinks Minseok doesn’t want him too.

 

“Okay.'' He says, and before his brain starts panicking, he closes the space between him and Jongdae and kisses him too. Softly. He would’ve thought his first kiss with Jongdae would have been rough and desperate from all the years boiling over. Instead it’s soft, and sweet, and tastes like milk and honey from the convenience store milk Jongdae gets at least once an hour. When they separate, it’s just as soft and delicate as the petals of the flowers that now lay in disray on the table. Baekhyun smiles at them, a little too proud, and starts tugging again.

 

They should talk things out, and explain and confess and figure out. Instead, he follows Baekhyun to Jongdae’s room, let’s himself be guided to the bed, kissed all over, kisses that feel like bee stings and soothe like milk and honey, let’s his blood burn and his skin tingle.

 

And again, he stops thinking.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The next time, they go to the park again. They have bicycles too, and when they get tired, they lay on the slightly wet grass and feed each other marshmallows in between kisses. The sun shines, the kids laugh, the flowers bloom right next to Minseok’s pinky finger where it rests on the ground. 

 

Baekhyun and Jongdae make him bloom, too, just like a small, wildflower under the caring spring sun.


End file.
